Improvement in lawn-mowers



2Sheets-Sheet1. T. GDLDWELL SLG. L. CHADBURN.

Lawn-Mowers. Y

No.136.969. Paremedmarcmsnas.

` tral portion of said device,

.TNITED; STATES..

' PATENT GFFIOE.

TnOMAs cOLnwnLL AND GEORGE L. OHADBORN, orv NEWBURG, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN LAWN-MOWERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 136,969, dated March 1S, 1873.

T.) all whom t may concern:l i

the county of Orange and'in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lawn-Mowers 5 and do here# by declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan view of the upper side of. our improved device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation` of the same. Fig. 3 is a like view of the cenenlarged. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section,

upon a line extending from front to rear; andv Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, aplan view and a side elevation of the handle of the machine.

Letters of like name and kind reier to like parts in each oi' the figures.

The design of our invention is to increase the efficiency and durability of lawn-mowers, and to render them more easy of operation; and it consists, principally, in the means employed for rendering the revolving cutter adjustable toward or from the bed-knife, substantially as and forv the purpose hereinafter set forth. It consists, further, in the peculiar construction of the cutter-heads, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown and described. It consists, inally, in the peculiar construction of the handle, and its combination with the frame of the machine, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter speciiied.

In the annexed drawing, A and A represent the frame sides, suitably connected together at their front and rear ends, and provided in rear of their longitudinal centers with two bearings, B, within which are journaled the shaft c of the driving-roller O. The front end of the frame is supported upon or by means of two caster-Wheels, D, the vertical bearings d ot which are suitably journaled within the sides A, at points corresponding in position to the bearings B. Pivoted at 'one end, to or upon the outer side oi' each frame side A, at its upper edge, and near its longitudinal center, is a plate E, which from thence extends downward and forward, and at its opposite end is provided with a bearing, e, which receives showing the parts the journaled end of the cutter shaft F, which Be it known that we, THOMAS GOLDWELL: and GEORGE L. OHADBORN, of Newburg, in

ter. Within a lug, E', secured to and extending outward from the free end of the bearingbar E, is provided a threaded opening, that receives a correspondingly-threaded screw, G, the ends of which extend outward at'a lright angle to the line of said bearing-bar, and in a vertical plane, and are contained between two lugs, H, that are secured to or upon the outer face oi' the frame side.

As thus constructed and combined, it will be seen that by turning the screw G to the right or left its longitudinal position will be unchanged, but the outer end of the bearing-bar E will be raised or lowered, and with it the cutter-shaft F. The object of this arrangement of parts is to enable the cutters I to be adjusted toward or from the bed-knife K, which latter is secured to or upon a knifebar, L, that in turn is attached to the frame sides A. The cutters I are preferably arranged spirally within or upon three or more cutter-heads, M, which latter, as seen in Fig. 3, have each a general circular form, with the portions of its periphery between said cutters reduced upon a circular line that extends from near the radial center of one cutter to the heel Oi' the next cutter in front. The object of this construction is to give clearance to the cutters, and to prevent the head from rolling down the grass, as would be the case if its periphery extended outward to or near the edge and front side of the cutters.

The operation of the heads isv still further improved by chamfering each side oi' the portions between the cutters, so as to cause them to present a wedge-shaped edge to the grass, and readily divide the same.

The arrangement of the driving-roller and caster-wheels upon opposite ends of the frame insures steadiness of motion, and prevents the slight inequalities of the surface of the ground from being duplicated upon the surface of the shaven grass', but it sometimes occurs that said roller and casters will simultaneously drop into low spots, so as to cause the bedknife to strike the ground, and, by being sprung upward against the cutters, injure, if not break, the same. To remedy this difficulty we journal a guard-roller, N, within two boxes, O, which are attached to and made vertically adjustable upon the frame sides A, immediately in rear of the knife-bar L.

The roller being adjusted so as to bring its periphery"somewhat below the line of the bedknife, it will be seen that when the machine is passing over uneven ground said yroller will form a bearing for its central portion, and prevents all contact of said bed-knife with the ground.

Attached to the rear ends of the frame sides A are the opposite ends of a rectangular metal bar, P, which from thence extends rearward, upward, and inward to a suitable distance, and then across in a linevat 'right angles to the draft. Upon the rear central portion p is secured a wooden bar, Q, which extends laterally outward in either direction, and forms earings for the hands.

From the peculiar form of the handle P, great strength and rigidity are obtained by the use of a comparatively small weight of metal. The improvements described add materially to the efficiency and durability of the machine Without correspondingly increasing the cost.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of our invention, what we claim as new 1. .The means employed for rendering the revolving cutter adjustable toward or from the bed-knife, consisting of the pivoted bearings E, provided with the threaded lugs E', the screws G, working in said lugs, and the lugs H, secured to or upon the frame A, and embracing the ends of said screws, substantially as set forth.

2. The cutter-heads M, having their peripheries reduced in front of the cutters, and their edges the purpose substantially as shown and described.

3. rlhe handle shown, consisting of the sides P and cross-bar 1o, formed of one piece, and combined with the frame sides A and bar Q, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our .hands this 19th day of February. 1873.

THOMAS COLDWELL. GEO. L. CHADBORN. Witnesses:

GEO. S. PRINDLE, J oHN R. YOUNG, JOHN W. BUsHFIELD, Gnus. CALDWELL.

chamfered, in the manner and for 

